Door control system



July 3, 1951 H. K. JONES DOOR CONTROL SYSTEM 4 Sheets-Sheet 1 FiledSept. 28, 1949 INVEN 70/? H K. JONES ATTORNEY July 3, 1951 H. K. JONESDOOR CONTROL SYSTEM 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Sept. 28, 1949 FIG. 3

//v vE/v TOR H. A. JONES BY A TTORNEV FIG. 4

JERRY 391 H. K. JONES DOOR CONTROL SYSTEM 4 Sheets-Sheet 3 H. K JONESINVENTOR We r A H F a Filed Sept. 28, 1949 July 3 W51 H. K. JONES DOORCONTROL SYSTEM 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 Filed Sept. 28, 1949 m/vE/v rop H; KJONES AT TORNEV i atentecl uly 3, 195i DOOR CONTROL SYSTEM 7 Harvey K.Jones, Parkville, Md., assignor to Western Electric Company,Incorporated, New York, N. Y., a corporation of New York ApplicationSeptember 28, 1949, Serial No. 118,410

4 Claims.

This invention relates to door control systems, and more particularly tosystems for interlockably controlling doors of auto courts.

Shipping operations to and from buildings, such as, for example,factories and warehouses, often require having doors to the buildingsopen for considerable periods of time in cold weather.

Two doors have been used so that one or the other of the doors might beclosed while the other is open. However, both doors often would be openat the same time. There have been some systems for interlocking thedoors so that only one door might be open at a given time but thesesystems provided no flexibility as to the extent each door could beopened.

An object of the invention is to provide new and improved door controlsystems.

A further object of the invention is to provide new and improved systemsfor interlockably controlling doors of auto courts.

An apparatus illustrating certain features of the invention may includea chamber having an entrance doorway and an exit doorway, an entrancedoor mounted in the entrance doorway for movement between an openposition and a closed position, a door mounted in the exit doorway formovement between an open position and a closed position therein, areversible electric motor for moving the entrance door, a source ofelectrical power, a limit switch operable by the exit door forpreventing operation of the motor when the exit dooris not closed, asecond reversible electric motor for moving the exit door, a secondlimit switch operable by the entrance door for preventing operation ofthe second-mentioned motor when the entrance door is not closed, meansfor actuating the first-mentioned motor to open and close the entrancedoor, and means for actuating the second-mentioned motor to open andclose the second-mentioned door.

A complete understanding of the invention may be obtained from thefollowing detailed description of an apparatus forming a specificembodiment thereof, when read in conjunction with the appended drawings,in which: 7

Fig. 1 is a fragmentary, vertical section of an apparatus forming oneembodiment of the invention;

Fig. 2 is an enlarged, fragmentary, vertical section of a portion of theapparatus shown in Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is an enlarged, fragmentary, vertical section taken along line 33of Fig. 1;

Fig. 4 is an enlarged, fragmentary, vertical section taken along line 44of Fig. l;

Fig. 5 is a diagrammatic view of a portion of a control system formingpart of the apparatus, and

Fig. 6 is a diagrammatic view of the remainder of the control circuit.

Referring now in detail to the drawings, there is shown therein aninterlocking system for controlling the operations of an exterior door Iand interior door 3 of an auto court 9 (Fig. 1) so that the exteriordoor cannot be opened if the interior door is open. The system includesa [manually operable, momentary switch l0 (Fig. 5) positioned between agrounded conductor and a conductor of a threephase power line II forenergizing a holding relay winding l2, and a normally closed limitswitch M (Fig. 6) closed when the interior door is moved from its closedposition and opened by a lug I5 movable by a distributor screw l3 (Fig.3) driven in synchronization With the interior door when the interiordoor is closed. If the interior door is open, the limit switch l4 (Fig.6) is closed and a winding 16 of a relay I1 is energized to closecontacts I8. The relay winding I2 is energized when the contacts l8 andthe switch II] are closed, and closes holding contacts 20 to light alamp 22 indicating to an attendant inside the building that someone isat the exterior door and wishes the attendant to close the interiordoor. A bell 24 (Fig. 5) is energized only while the switch I 0 is heldclosed.

If the interior door 8 (Fig. 1) is closed so that the switch I4 is open,to open the exterior door 1, one of three sets of manually operableinterlocked switch contacts 26 and 21, 28 and 29, and 3D and 3|, locatedoutside the exterior door, in-

side the exterior door and inside the interior door respectively, may beactuated to open one of the contacts 26, 28 and 30 and close thecorresponding one of the contacts 21, 29 and 3| to energize a holdingrelay winding 32 of a relay 33 which closes holding contacts 34 andcontacts 36-36 to energize a motor 38 to drive a shaft 31 in a directionto open the exterior door. As the exterior door arrives at its openposition a limit switch 40 is opened by a lug 39, movable by a screw 4|driven in synchronization with the movement of the door 1 to stop themotor 38, and a limit switch 42 was closed as the door 1 moved away fromits closed position and a lug 43 moved out of engagement with the switch42 to'permit subsequent closing of the door.

Closing of the switch 42 causes energization of a relay winding 44 of arelay 45 to close switch contacts 46 in series with an outsidethermostatic switch 48 and in parallel with an inside thermostaticswitch 50. The thermostatic switch 50 is closed if the temperature atits location is below room temperature, and the thermostatic switch 48is closed when the temperature outside the exterior door "I is below 50F. When either of these thermostats is closed and a manually operablecontactor 41 is in engagement with a contact 49 in series with thethermostatic switches 48 and 50, a relay winding 52 of a relay 53 isenergized to close contacts 54-54 to a heater fan motor cuit through arelay winding I08 of a relay I09, the limit switch I4 having been closedby opening the interior door. The relay winding I88 then closes motorcontacts IIO-I I0 and holding con- 56. The motor 56 drives a fan 51(Fig. 1) of a Certain features of the heaters 55 and 58 and the controlcircuit thereof are disclosed and claimed in 'copen'dingapplicationSerial No. 118,318, filed September 28, 194.9, by H. W.Hubers for Methods of and Apparatus for Controlling Temperatures ofRooms.

After the exterior door 'I is opened, a truck may be driven up to theinterior door 8 and one of manually operable contacts 66, 62 and 64,located outside the exterior door I, inside the auto court and insidethe building, respectively, may be actuated manually to close acorresponding one of contacts 66, 68 and I0. (Fig. 5) interlockedtherewith. This energizes a relay winding 12 of a relay I3 to closeholding contacts 14 and motor controlling contacts I6--16to drive themotor 38 in a door-closing direction. When the exterior door gets toclosed position, the limit switch 40 is closed and the limit switch 42is opened to stop the motor 38 and to break the circuit to the relaywinding 44. A limit switch 15 (Fig. 4) openable by a lug ll driven by ascrew 18 is closed whenever the door I is not fully open to. causeenergization of an exhaust fan motor 19 (Fig. 6). Deehergization of thewinding 44 (Fig. 5) opens contacts 46 to stop energization of the motor56 by outside thermostat 48.

' After the exterior door l (Fig.1) is closed, the interior door 8 maybe opened. If it is desired to open the interior door 8 to its. fullestextent, one of manually operable contacts 80 and 82 (Figs. 1 and 6) isopened, whereby a corresponding one of contacts 84 and 86 interlockedtherewith is closed. This closes a circuit through the closed one of thecontacts 84 and 86 through a relay winding 88 of a relay 89 to closerelay contacts 96 90 and 92- to cause energization of an interior doormotor 94. to drive a shaft 93 in a direction opening the interiordoor.The interior door. is moved upwardly, permitting the limit switchI4.toclose, until it has been raisedto its wide open position atwhich'time a limit switch 96 is opened by a lug 95 to stop the motor 94. Asthe interior door was raised to a predetermined partially open position,a limit switch 98 was opened by a lug 91 without affecting the motorcircuit. The lugs 95 and Blare movable by a screw 99 and the screw I3,respectively, in synchronization with the movement of the interior door.

Toclose the interior door 8, one of manually operable switch contacts,I00 and I02 (Figs. 1 and 6) located in the auto court and in thebuildingrespectively, is opened, thereby closing the corresponding one ofcontacts I04. and I06. Closing one of the contacts I04 and I06. closes acirtacts II2 'to reverse the motor 94 to close the interior door. As thedoor is moved closed, the limit switches 96 and 98 are closedsuccessively by movement of the lugs 95 and 9] and the limit switch I4is opened at the end of the closing movement, thereby deenergizing themotor 94.

To open the inner door to its partially open position only so that timemay be saved in the opening of that door in instances when the door 8need not be fully opened for loading and unloading operations, one ofmanually operable, momentary switch contacts I28 and I22 is opened,thereby closing the corresponding one of contacts I24 and I25interlocked with the contacts I20. and I22, respectively, which closesthe circuit to a relay winding I28 of a relay I29. This closes holdingcontacts I30. and contacts I32, and opens contacts I34 to preventoperation of the circuit for opening the door completely. Closing ofcontacts I30 keeps the relay winding I28 energized, and closing: ofcontacts I32 causes energization of the relay winding 88 to run themotor 94 in a door-opening direction. As the interior door reaches itspartially open position, the limit switch 98 (Figs. 3 and 6) is openedby the lug 91 to stop the door at that position.

The interior door may be closed from its partially open position byactuating one of the switch contacts I00 and I62. Closing of the in-.terior door causes the lug 15 to open the limit switch I4, whichdeenergizes the relay i6 so that contacts I40 reclose to permit theexterior door to be opened. Similarly, when the exterior door 1 isopenthe limit switch 42 is closed so that the relay winding 44 isenergized, thereby opening contacts I42 preventing operation of theinterior door 8.

Limit switches I50 (Fig.- 6) and I52 (Fig. 5) are openable by manuallyoperative hoists opening and closing the interior door 8 and theexterior door I, respectively, to stop push button operation of thatdoor. being operated by the manually operative hoist therefor. Switchcon-. tacts I60. and I62 interlocked with the switchv contactsand82,respectively, protect the wind-. ings 88 and I08, which-are mechanicallyinterlocked, from strain. if both one of the contacts 80and 82v and oneof the contacts I00 and I02 are actuated simultaneously by accident.

Whenever the exterior door I is moved away from its fully closedposition, the switch contacts. 42 are closed to energize the winding toclose switch. contacts, in serieslwith the outside thermostatic switch48. If the temperature outside the door. I is below the predeterminedminimum temperature at which the switch 48 closes, the switch 48 isclosed and causing the relay winding 52 to be energized to closecontacts 5454 to the heater fan motor 56:. The motor 56 drives abovesaid value, above which the court would not.

bev unduly cooled when the exterior door is open, the switch 4.8.is.openand only the indoor thermostatic switch v5!]v controls the operation ofthe fan motor 56. Whenever: the exterior door is in its closed position,the relay contacts 40 in series with the switch 48 are open so. that theoutside temperature then has no effect on the operation of the fan motor56 (Fig. 5).

Contacts I80 and I62 of a key-operable switch I84 are provided in serieswith relay windings 44 and I6, respectively. In periods of cold weatherthe contacts I80 and I82 are closed so that the relays I! and 45 areoperative to interconnect the circuits controlling the openingandclosing of the doors. In summer, when no heating of the auto court isneeded, the contacts I80 and I82 are opened so that each door may beoperated inde pendently of the other and the circuit to the thermostaticswitches 48 and 50 is broken. A key switch I90 may be opened in summerto prevent operation of the exhaust fan motor I9 since the exterior dooris kept open during warm weather and exhaust fumes from trucks need notbe drawn artificially from the auto court.

Operation Assuming that a truck comes to the outside of the exteriordoor 'I, the driver actuates the contact 26 located outside the exteriordoor. If the interior door 8 is open, the switch I4 is closed so thatthe relay winding I6 is deenergized, thereby opening contacts I40 toprevent opening the exterior door and closing contacts I8 so that thebell 22 may be actuated. Assuming the interior door to be open, theexterior door will not open. The'driver then closes the switch I tolight the lamp 22 indicating to an attendant inside that a truck is atthe door, and the attendant closes the interior door, which deenergizesthe relay winding It to close contacts I40 and open contacts I8. Openingof contacts I8 breaks the circuit to the lamp 22. The bell 24 isenergized only while the switch I0 is held closed.

The attendant then actuates one of the sets of interlocked contacts 28and 29, and 30 and 3| located inside the interior door and inside theexterior door, respectively, to open one of the contacts 28 and 30 andclose the corresponding one of the contacts 29 and 3! to energize themotor 38 in a direction to open the exterior door. As the exterior doorarrives at its open position, the lug 39 (Fig. 3) opens the limit switch40 to stop the motor 38 and closes the limit switch 42 to permit closingthe exterior door.

Closing of the switch 42 (Fig. which is closed whenever the exteriordoor is not fully closed, causes energization of the relay winding 44 toclose switch contacts 46 in series with the outside thermostatic switch48. The thermostatic switch 50 is closed if the temperature at itslocation is below the desired room temperature. If the outsidetemperature is sufiiciently below the desired room temperature, theswitch 48 is closed. When either of these switches is closed, the relaywinding 52 is energized to close the contacts 5454 to the heater fanmotor 55, and the motor 58 drives the fan 5'! (Fig. 1) to blow a curtainof warm air across the door opening thereby preventing undue'cooling ofthe auto court.

After the exterior door I is opened, the truck backs up to the interiordoor 8, and an attendant or the driver actuates one of switch contacts60, 62 and 64 (Fig. 5) to close the corresponding one of switch contacts66, 68 and III. This energizes the motor 38 in a door-closing direction.When the exterior door is moved to its closed position, the lug 4| (Fig.4) causes the limit switch 40 to close, and opens the limit switch 42 tostop the motor 38 (Fig. '5) and to break the circuit to the relaywinding 44. Deenergization of the winding 44 opens the contacts 46 tostop energization by means of outside thermostat 48 of the heater 7motor 56.

The interior door 8 (Fig. 1) then may be opened. If it is desired toopen the interior door to its fully open position, one of switchcontacts and 82 (Fig. 6) is opened, whereby the corresponding one ofswitch contacts 84 and 86 is closed. This causes energization of theinterior door motor 94 in a direction opening the interior door. Theinterior door is moved upwardly as viewed in Fig. 1, the lug I5 (Fig. 3)permitting the limit switch I4 to close, until it has been raised to itswide open position at which time the lug 95 opens the limit switch 9!:to stop the motor 94. As the interior door was moved past its partiallyopen position, the lug 97 opened the limit switch 98 without affectingthe motor circuit.

After the truck is loaded or unloaded, one of the switch contacts I00and I02 (Fig. 6) is opened manually, thereby closing the correspondingone of the switch contacts I04 and I08. Closing the one of the contactsI04 and I06 closes a circuit through the relay winding I88 and the limitswitch I4, which was closed by opening the interior door 8. The relaywinding I08 then closes motor contacts IIO-I I0 and holding contacts H2to reverse the motor 94 to close the interior door. As the interior dooris moved closed, the limit switches 98 and 98 are closed successively,and the limit switch I I is opened at the extreme of the closingmovement, thereby deenergizing the motor 94.

If it is desired to open the interior door 8 only to its partially openposition, one of switch contacts I 20 and I22 is opened manually,thereby closing the corresponding one of the contacts I24 and I26 whichcloses the circuit to the relay winding I28. This closes holdingcontacts I30 and contacts I32, and opens the switch contacts I34 toprevent operation of the circuit for opening the interior door to itsfully open position. Closing of contacts I30 keeps the relay winding I28energized and closing of the contact I32 causes energization of therelay winding 88 to run the motor 94 in a door-opening direction. As theinterior door reaches its partially open position, the lug 94 opens thelimit switch 98 to stop the door at that position. The door may beclosed as described hereinabove in closing it from its fully openposition.

Whenever the interior door 8 is closed, the limit switch I4 is opened bythe lug l5 (Fig. 3) to deenergize the relay winding I6 so that thecontacts I40 reclose to permit the exterior door to be opened. Wheneverthe interior door is opened even partially, the switch I4 is closed toprevent opening the exterior door. Similarly, Whenever the exterior doorI is closed the limit switch 42 is opened so that the relay winding 44is deenergized, thereby closing contacts I42 to permit operation of theinterior door, and if the exterior door is opened even partially, theswitch 42 is closed to cause opening of the contacts I42, therebypreventing opening the interior door.

What is claimed is:

1. A door control system, which comprises a chamber having an entrancedoorway and an exit doorway, an entrance door mounted in the entrancedoorway for movement between an open position and a closed position, asecond door mounted for movement in the exit doorway, a reversibleelectric motor for moving the entrance door, a source of electricalpower, a limit switch closable by the second-mentioned door when thesecond-mentioned door is not closed, a second reversible electric motorfor moving the second-mentioned door, a second limit switch closable bythe entrance door when the entrance door is not closed, a blocking relayhaving a winding in series with the first-mentioned limit switch and thesource of electrical power and contacts for preventing operation of thefirstmentioned motor when the second-mentioned door is not closed, asecond blocking relay having a winding ,in series with thesecond-mentioned limit switch and the source of electrical power andcontacts for preventing operation of the second-mentioned motor when thefirst-mentioned door is not closed, means including a manually operableswitch having normally open contacts in parallel with the winding of thefirstmentioned relay and the first-mentioned limit switch for actuatingthe second-mentioned motor to open and close the second-mentioned door,and means including a manually operable switch having normally opencontacts in parallel with the winding of the second-mentioned relay andthe second-mentioned limit switch for actuating the first-mentionedmotor to open and close the firstmentioned door.

2. A door control system, which comprises a chamber having an entrancedoorway and an exit doorway, an entrance door mounted in the entrancedoorway for movement between an open position and a closed position, asecond door mounted for movement in the exit doorway, a reversibleelectric motor for moving the entrance door, a source of electricalpower, a limit switch closable by the second-mentioned door when thesecond-mentioned door is not closed, a second reversible electric motorfor moving the secondmentioned door, a second limit switch closable bytheentrance door when the entrance door is not closed, a blocking relayhaving a winding in serie with the first-mentioned limit switch and thesource of electrical power and contacts for preventing operation of thefirst-mentioned motor when the second-mentioned door is not closed, asecond blocking relay having a winding in series with thesecond-mentioned limit switch and the source of electrical power andcontacts for preventing operation of the second-mentioned motor when thefirst-mentioned door is not closed, a lock switch having contacts inseries with the winding of the first-mentioned relay and the source ofelectrical power and contacts in series with the winding of thesecond-mentioned relay and the source of electrical-power forselectively connecting and disconnecting the windings to and from thesource of electrical power, means including a manually operable switchhaving, normally open contacts in parallel with the winding of thefirst-mentioned relay and the first mentioned limit switch for actuatingthe secand-mentioned motor to open and close the second-mentioned door,and means including a manually operable switch having normally opencontacts in parallel with the Winding of the second-mentioned relay andthe second-mentioned having a relay winding andcontacts for can matingthe motor to the source of power to energize the motor to open the doorwhen that wind ing is energized, means including a second relay having arelay winding and contacts for connecting the motor to the source ofpower to energize the motor to close the door when that winding isenergized, a limit switch closed when the door is in its closedposition, openable by the door when the door arrives at its fully openposition and connected in series with the winding of the first-mentionedrelay and the source of power, a second limit switch closed when thedoor is not in its closed position, openable by the door when the doorarrives at its closed position and connected in series with the windingof the second-mentioned relay and the source of power, a third limitswitch closed when the door isin its closed position, openable by thedoor when the door arrives at its partially open position and connectedin series with the winding of the firstmentioned relay and the source ofpower and in parallel with the first-mentioned limit switch, a manuallyoperable, normally open, switch connected in series with the relaywinding of the second-mentioned relay and the second-mentioned limitswitch and in parallel with the thirdmentioned limit switch, a secondmanually-op erable, normally open, momentary switch connected in serieswith the relay winding of the first-mentioned relay and thefirst-mentioned limit switch, a third relay including a relay windingconnected in series with the source of power and the third-mentionedlimit switch and in parallel with the relay winding of thefirstmentioned relay, normally open contacts in series with the windingof the first-mentioned relay and the third-mentioned limit switch and inparallel with the first-mentioned manually operable switch and normallyclosed contacts in parallel with the last-mentioned contacts and inseries with the first-mentioned manually operable switch and thefirst-mentioned limit switch, and a third manually operable, normallyopen switch in series with the second-mentioned limit switch and thewinding of the second-mentioned relay.

4'. A door control system, which comprises a room having a doorway, adoor movable with respect to the doorway between closed position, apartially open position and a fully open position, a three-phaseelectric power source, a reversible three-phase motor for moving thedoor, means including a relay having a relay winding and contacts forconnecting the motor to the source ofi power to energize the motor toopen the door when that winding is energized, means including a secondrelay having a relay winding and contacts for connecting the motor tothe source of power to energize the motor to close the door when thatwinding is energized, a limit switch closed when the door is in itsclosed position,

openable by the door when the door arrives at its fully open positionand connected in series with the winding of the first-mentioned relayand the source of power, a second limit switch closed source of power, athird limit switch closed when the door is in its closed position,openable by the door when the door arrives at its partially openposition and connected in series with the windingv of thefirst-mentioned relay and the source of power and in parallel with thefirstmentioned limit switch, a manually operable, normally open,momentary switch connected in series with the relay winding of thefirst-mentioned relay and the first-mentioned limit switch and inparallel with the third-mentioned switch, a second manually operable,normally open, momentary switch connected in series with the relaywinding of the second-mentioned relay and the second-mentioned limitswitch, a third relay including a relay winding connected in series withthe source of power and the third-mentioned limit switch and in parallelwith the relay winding of the first-mentioned relay, normally opencontacts in series with the winding of the first-mentioned relay and thethird-mentioned limit switch and in parallel with the first-mentionedmanually operable switch and normally closed contacts in parallel withthe last-mentioned contacts and in series with the first-men- 10 tionedmanually operable switch and the flrst mentioned limit switch, and athird manually operable, normally open, momentary switch in series withthe third-mentioned limit switch and the winding of the third-mentionedrelay, each of said relays including holding contacts in parallel withthe manually operable switches in series with the relay windingsthereof.

HARVEY K. JONES.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file ofthis patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Name Date White Nov. 11, 1924 Mattingly et a1.Jan. 2, 1934 Fogal June 30, 1936 Number

